Past Continuous. [was/were + present participle] Examples: You were studying when she called.
Were you studying when she called? You were not studying when she called. Complete List of Past Continuous Forms. Past Perfect Continuous. Simple Past. [VERB+ed] or irregular verbs Examples: You called Debbie.
Did you call Debbie? You did not call Debbie. Complete List of Simple Past Forms USE 1 Completed Action in the Past Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. I saw a movie yesterday. USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim. USE 3 Duration in Past The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. I lived in Brazil for two years. USE 4 Habits in the Past The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. I studied French when I was a child. USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing. IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First Example: Past Perfect. The past perfect is a verb tense which is used to show that an action took place once or many times before another point in the past.
Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect exercises. Past Perfect Forms The past perfect is formed using had + past participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and had. Negatives are made with not. Statement: You had studied English before you moved to New York. Complete List of Past Perfect Forms Past Perfect Uses USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past The past perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. Examples: I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai. USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs) With non-continuous verbs and some non-continuous uses of mixed verbs, we use the past perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.
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